Joe Mason and Lewis Grabban

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Maybe we offered Barnes what he was worth as an average Championship striker?
Maybe we respected AEA's wishes to play first-team football, because he was never going to be better than 3rd choice here?
Maybe we offered Grabban what we judged him to be worth as a reasonable replacement for Ash, and maybe Bournemouth matched that offer (I agree that he has a better chance of being first choice at Bournemouth)?

We can all play the 'maybe' game, but I prefer to think our club are making the correct decisions in all 3 cases.

That was my take on all three scenarios. Good decisions on both business and footballing grounds. Ok it is a shame to see Barnes and AEA move on but there are acceptable rationales for both exits.

Although I don't like the thought of Grabban (or his agent) using 'us' as leverage in securing a better deal at Bournemouth and this might have temporarily distracted us from other potential deals. However I would have felt worse if we had done all the spade work and only to be gazumped (eg by a QPR) and watch Grabban follow the money to a Club where he is not guaranteed a starting place. In a way I am pleased he has remained with Bournemouth and secondly that he isn't with us. We can do better.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

OK. Sorry if I misunderstood.

No problem. I was just saying that without all the facts it is perhaps a little difficult for people to label Grabban a money-grabber and argue with certainty that we were played by his agent and that we are better off without him.

I would have quite liked to see us sign Grabban. Good goal record this season, pace, versatile etc. Would appear to have been exactly the sort of player we need. But not if it meant breaking our wage structure. Wouldn't want us to sign anyone if it meant potentially placing the club in a difficult financial position.

 

[Mellotron]

We're totally guessing, ultimately. On all 3 counts.

 

[Guinness Boy]

No problem. I was just saying that without all the facts it is perhaps a little difficult for people to label Grabban a money-grabber and argue with certainty that we were played by his agent and that we are better off without him.

I would have quite liked to see us sign Grabban. Good goal record this season, pace, versatile etc. Would appear to have been exactly the sort of player we need. But not if it meant breaking our wage structure. Wouldn't want us to sign anyone if it meant potentially placing the club in a difficult financial position.

No player is, or should be, bigger than the club. We're really not going to make that mistake again. We simply have to trust TB.

EDIT - this is posted in agreement with Walt & BW by the way!

 

[Triggaaar]

It could be that Bournemouth offered him a modest increase in return for removing the release clause from his existing contract to prevent any other clubs potentially turning his head. Would make sense given rumoured interest from QPR and Reading.

You'd think Bournemouth would have had the £1.1m release clause at least increased, otherwise he could still leave in this window. Since he's signed a new deal this month, before seeing what offer he could get from the likes of QPR, I'm not convinced he's been totally money grabbing.

Yes, it's possible he had no intention of signing for us, but I think that's unlikely. I wish he had joined us, I think we'd do well with him, but cest la vie, we move on.

 

[worthingseagull123]

Players wages, and their agents are the ones who are ruining these clubs. What other businesses can you think of that generate so much income and yet nobody seems to make a profit.

There should be a maximum amount of what each player can be paid in all the leagues. In the Championship it should be no more 10k a week.
In the Premier league it should be no more 30k a week. If players cannot live off this money then sorry something is seriously wrong. There would be no need for agents then.

If a team gets relegated then the players wages should come down too. It would stop clubs getting in to so much debt.

This. Top post mate.

 

[Hamilton]

Like the idea of a wage cap (not salary cap).

So, you are allowed to spend a max of £15m a year on player salaries. If you want to give £4m of that to Wayne Rooney then fine, but you've only got £11m left for the rest of you squad.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

Like the idea of a wage cap (not salary cap).

So, you are allowed to spend a max of £15m a year on player salaries. If you want to give £4m of that to Wayne Rooney then fine, but you've only got £11m left for the rest of you squad.

Sounds like a new version of Sun Dream Team, instead of having £50,000.000 to spend on players you have to spend on players wages, hence you get a top forward but end up with two donkey like full backs !!

 

[Hamilton]

Sounds like a new version of Sun Dream Team, instead of having £50,000.000 to spend on players you have to spend on players wages, hence you get a top forward but end up with two donkey like full backs !!

Pretty much.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

Nov 2013 - he felt settled at Bournemouth. Fair enough. << Inserts release clause in contract. Also fair enough. >>
Jan 2014 - << Release clause triggered. >> A reasonable chance of a crack at the Prem via the play-offs with Brighton. He talks to Brighton. Fair enough.

He didn't just talk though did he, or as he's now saying, listen to what Brighton had to say, he had a medical, didn't he? Fair play to him, Bournemouth wanted to keep him enough to up his wages considerably, (but his chance of a crack at the play-offs is now gone), and he doesn't have to uproot house and home. I don't have an opinion on whether him coming would've been good for us or not, but loyalty or ambition played no part in last week (I know you didn't imply that).

Just saying'.

 

[Urchin]

Cardiff signing a new striker today, could hopefully mean they are more willing to let Mason go. The imminent signing of Zaha must surely mean Conway is no longer needed as well.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Are our scouts now based in Cardiff having moved on from Swansea?

 

[Albumen]

Cardiff signing a new striker today, could hopefully mean they are more willing to let Mason go. The imminent signing of Zaha must surely mean Conway is no longer needed as well.

We keep telling ourselves this. It's gonna be a long week.

 

[B.W.]

Cardiff signing a new striker today, could hopefully mean they are more willing to let Mason go. The imminent signing of Zaha must surely mean Conway is no longer needed as well.

I admire your optimism Urchin. I think both would be great, although I prefer Burke (Brum) to Conway, and feel the latest valuation on Mason (as quoted in the recent press) sounds far too high.

 

[portslade seagull]

Oh well another week wasted, 7-days left just to replace who've we lost not allowing for any more departures

 

[Machiavelli]

Cardiff signing a new striker today, could hopefully mean they are more willing to let Mason go. The imminent signing of Zaha must surely mean Conway is no longer needed as well.

I like your logic Urchin.

 

[Machiavelli]

We keep telling ourselves this. It's gonna be a long week.

Are you sure? It might be a long week for many on NSC, but the way things seem to work in the January transfer window of late is that there's a frenzy in the last few hours.
A long week, or a frenzied few hours?

 

[severnside gull]

Mason and Conway expected to be in Cardiff cup squad tomorrow at Bolton. Not a lot we can do until Monday

 

[portslade seagull]

Are you sure? It might be a long week for many on NSC, but the way things seem to work in the January transfer window of late is that there's a frenzy in the last few hours.
A long week, or a frenzied few hours?

A frenzied few hours signing players who are clearly not up to it .... Dobbie , Hammond etc, etc

 

[Steve.S]

Oh well another week wasted, 7-days left just to replace who've we lost not allowing for any more departures

That depends if you cup is half full or half empty.